Women Divemasters / Instructors

[mitsuguy]

I know you're out there...

My wife and I are going to work our way up there within the next year or so... She is fairly small, 5'2" and 110 lbs. I know some of the requirements will be strenuous for her, but I am pretty confident she'll be able to handle it...

Any tips or advice for her?

[Silverlode]

Good thread. I'll be following it. I'm smaller than your wife.

Come more ladies! Tips, tips, tips...

Hmm.. probably the blokes divemasters/instructors will have plenty to say too , since you'd probably have seen all sorts of things...

[Aussie]

I have a few friends (ladies) that are in the industry and I find them to very well at teaching people. Most of the girls are of small size also.

The biggest thing that they have is the ability to handle people in their teaching. They tend to leave out the macho bull that some male instructors show. They speak softly and lead by example. But I have also seen some really bad female instructors too.

Female students generally feel comfortable with an Female instructor and this is important when I see ratio of male to female students lower.

Aussie

[caroln]

I am hoping to become a DM in the near future and I'm female. I vary between thinking I need to get more experience first since I'll probably have to really prove myself, and thinking that at this point I do think I could help new divers, and that I'm ready to go ahead.

[Steve Scuba]

Ok, so I'm sneaking a look on the wrong side of the wall, but the title caught my eye. Don't know about the personal challenges, but I can say that my current instructor is a woman barely over 5 feet tall. She's great, and more than up to the requirements of the job.

[Cissycox]

Tell her to do some strength training for upper body and good ol cardio is the best for all around stamina.
Women are natural teachers and I wish her luck with her endeavors.

I, too, one day would like to become a Divemaster with my SO and travel the world!